Improvement in stopping mechanisms for drawing-frames



P. C. DAWSON- .'Stnpp'ing Mechanisms for Drawing-Frames. Y 540.152,89@ Patemedjulym,18174.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK C. DAIVSON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN STOPPING MECHANISMS FOR DRAWING-FRAMES.

Specification forming part ot' Letters Patent No. 152,899, dated July 14, 1874; application tiled April 24, 1874.

y To all whom it may concern:

Improvements in Stop .Mechanisms for Ootton Machinery, applicable to DrawingFrames and Railway-Heads, of which the following is a specification: l

My invention relates to stop mechanisms applied to drawing-frames and railway-heads in cotton-factories; and its object is to detect variations in the sliver of cotton, and to stop the machine whenever the sliver comes either lighter or heavier than a given standard, as well as when it breaks, or when it contains a bunch that should be removed.

My-invention is capable of a wide range of adjustment and adaptability to diilerent varieties of work, and operates with great eertainty and in a positive manner.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a 'side elevation of my invention7 the `whole lines showing the position of the parts when the sliver is passing through the trumpet and the stop is not acting. The dotted lines show the position when the stop is put in operation by a bunch in the trumpet, or by the breaking of the sliver or some portion of it. Fig. 2 shows the reverse side in elevation with the stop disengaged. Fig. 3 shows the slide which operates the stop-dog, and the plate on which the slide rests, including the support to which the weighted lever is attached. p,

The trumpet A, through which the sliver is drawn by the condensing-rolls, is mounted on an arm, a., pivoted to a standard, s, on which it swings freely. This arm, when the machine is in operation, is in a position inclinin g somewhat Jfrom a perpendicular toward the condensing-rolls, and n this position rests against a pin or support, p, projecting from the short arm of the trumpet-lever L. This lever is also pivoted to the side of the standard s, so that a slight pressure of the trumpet-arm against the pin p will raise the lon g arm of L.

At the opposite end of the trumpetlever L is a standard,s, to which is pivoted a bell-crank lever with arms m and m. A loop or ring, embracing the end of lever L, is attached to the side of m by means of a slot and set' screw, so that it can be moved at will to a Vceive it.

greater or less distance from the fulcrum of the bell-crank lever; also, mounted on the top of m is an adjustable weight or counterpoise, C, with a longitudinal slot extending nearly its whole length, and arranged to slide upon the arm m in such a manner as to throw its weight on either side of the fulcrum of the bell-crank lever, and thus help to raise or depress the end of the longarm of lever L, as may be desired. It is secured in the position selected for it by a screw passing through the slot and into the arm mh The lower arm m of the bell-crank lever is employed to operate a slide, d, resting on a'plate or bed, b, and arranged to move longitudinally back and forth, as in a groove, with proper guides on each side to keep it in place. In the examples shown the back side of the slide works against the foot of the standard s and a guide extending a short distance on each side of the standard. A screw, c, is set in the plate on the other side, the head of which reaches over a shoulder extending out from the bottom part of the slide. This screw serves the double purpose of keeping the slide in position and-forming a rest for the arm m. rlhe side of the arm m fits in a V-shaped. notch, n, in' the side of the slide. In this connection there should be but very little play to secure prompt action of the slide, and the shoulders of the notch should be suiiiciently sloping and slightly convex, except at the bottom, where they are nearly perpendicular. K is a double pawl or dog pivoted or hinged at the end of the plate b, one point of which rests in a V- shaped notch, n', on the top of the slide d, when the latter is in the right position to re- The other point is intended to engage the iioats of the stop -wheel H. The faces of the notch n should be slightly convex, with such an adaptation between them and the point of the dog that the latter, when resting in the notch, will be easily raised by the motion ofthe slide in either direct-ion, and the other point of the dog, as a consequence, be thrown in contact with the catch-wheel and stop it.

lVhen this takes place one point of the dog is in contact with the upper surface of a float of the wheel, the other point resting on the flat surface of the top of the slide. W is a weighted lever pivoted to a support, Y, extending downward from the under side ofthe plate b, which may be conveniently done by a screw. I provide two or more screw-holes in the straight part of the arm between the two elbows, as shown, and corresponding ones in the support, for the purpose of fixing the fulcrum at a greater or less distance from the weight w, according to necessity. rlhe upper portion u of the lever XY reaches above the plate b far enough to engage the arm m, and, when not displaced by the latter, rests against a shoulder on the side ofthe plate b, which'is cut away for this purpose, and to give play to this endof the lever. The plate b lies on an inferior or supporting plate, b, to which it must necessarilybe firmly attached to resist the action of the stop-wheel on the pawl, which operates like a sudden jerk or blow, tending to separate them. rIhis is accomplished by turning a lip, l, along the lower edge of the support Y, so as to embrace the lower edge of Y. The two parts fit snugly, and are in this way firmly bound together, at the y same time giving an opportunity to slide the upper plate toward or from the wheel, to obtain the proper adjustment. Y and Y are also bound together by a screw passing through a slot in Y and into Y.

In operating this stop mechanism the sliver is drawn through the trumpet with sufficient friction or tension to raise `the end of the lever L and bring the arm m against the end u of the weighted lever W, which is sufficient to resist the strain from asliver of the proper size and density, the point of the dog resting in the notch n', and the other point out of the way of the wheel. If, now, the sliver should become more dense, or should contain a bunch so vas to increase the tension, the weight on the lower end of W is overcome, the slide moves forward, carried by the arm en, and throws the dog back in contact with the wheel, which is instantly stopped thereby. If, on the other hand, the sliver grows light or breaks, there is nothing to sustain the long arm of the lever L, which immediately falls and throws the slide back instead of forward.

To set the machine and arrange the adjustable parts, I first prepare the nozzle of the trumpet to give the desired amount of friction lfor a sliver of the right size.

Then the counl terpoise C is moved toward the trumpet, so as to nearly balance this friction or tension, should it be the purpose to detect very slight variations toward a lighter sliver. If slight variations are to be disregarded, the counterpoise is not moved quite so far.

It will be observed that the weight of the long arm of the lever L can be either entirely counterbalanced by such a counterpoise, or be added to, according to the position given to the counterpoise.

N ow, to detect variations on the other side, I set the screw of the weighted lever Win the hole nearest to the weight if the smallest bunches are to be caught. In this position the lever W offers but slight resistance to the arm on, and a small increase of the tension is sufficient to throw the dog into contact with the stop-wheel. The screw is moved to holes farther from the weight, according as larger bunches are allowed to pass.

It will be seen that by this invention slight variations on either side of the standard are guarded against at the same time, or they may be allowed to pass on one side, while they are checked on the other.

It is a feature of this machine that the movements are positive and decided, and that the fluctuating and dancing motions produced b v springs employed in such stop mechanisms are entirely avoided.

Many of the parts here described are old and well known, and to these I make no specie claim.

I claiml. The slide d, constructed and operating substantially as described.

2. In combination with the slide d, the pawl or dog K and wheel H, as specified.

3. The combination and arrai'lgement of the counterpoise C, the bell-crank lever composed of the arms m and m, the slide d, pawl K, and wheel H, all as described and set forth.

4. The combination and arrangement of the counterpoise C, the bell-crank lever, weighted lever W, slide d, pawl or dog K, and wheel H, as specified.

PATRICK o.' Dawson.v llf'itiiesses:

ALBERT l). BEAN, GILBERT F. WHIPPLE. 

